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Academic Honors and Awards

The College and the University recognize students and faculty for their outstanding achievements. College students may be nominated to receive one of the many recognitions and prizes awarded for outstanding work in the College of Arts and Sciences. In turn, College students may nominate outstanding faculty for teaching awards.

Senior Awards

These awards are open to all seniors in the College of Arts and Sciences. To be considered for these awards, required materials must be submitted by Friday, March 1, 2019 to Grace Kim, The College, 120 Cohen Hall, 249 South 36th Street or emailed to gskim@sas.upenn.edu.

A prize of $750 is awarded annually to a senior in the College for the most interesting and intelligently selected collection of books purchased during the past academic year and reflecting general scholastic enthusiasm and interest. Any type of book, except books required for class, may be included, but there must be a definite objective in the collection that has been consistently pursued in the acquisition. The books required for outside reading in the field of the student’s major subject may be included as part of the collection. Applicants should submit a list of books with a brief reason for the inclusion of each volume.

A prize of $750 is awarded annually to an outstanding senior in the College. The award is based on a combination of academic performance, personal integrity, motivation, and service and contribution to the College community reflecting the highest standards of overall achievement. Students applying for this prize will also be considered for the College Alumni Society 250th Commemoration Award. Applicants should submit a resume and a separate essay describing their most outstanding contribution.

The College Alumni Society 250th Commemoration Award will be awarded annually in the amount of $750 to an outstanding senior in the College who creates harmony within the University and its communities. Students applying for this prize will also be considered for the Abraham D. Cohn Prize. Applicants should submit a resume and a separate essay describing their most outstanding contribution.

Students should submit their essays for consideration by the last day of class in the spring semester; senior theses are ineligible. There is no word count per se but essays should be fifteen or fewer pages. Decisions are made in the spring.

Phi Beta Kappa awards the following prizes to seniors for the best theses in any field. Students or faculty may nominate a thesis.

The Frederick W. Meier Jr. Thesis Prize $1,000

Two Phi Beta Kappa Thesis Prizes ($1,000 each)

To qualify for consideration, two copies of the essay must be handed to the receptionist in the College Office, 120 Cohen Hall, by the last day of class in the spring semester. The copies must be accompanied by a letter of endorsement by a faculty advisor. For further information, contact Dr. Janet Tighe, 120 Cohen Hall, 215.898.6341. Students are not required to be members of Phi Beta Kappa in order to receive these awards.

Roy and Diana Vagelos Science Challenge Award

Each academic year, five Challenge Awards are given to rising junior or senior College students majoring in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Chemistry or Physics and doing submatriculation for an MS in Chemistry or Physics to challenge them to get the most from Penn and themselves both in the classroom and in the laboratory. Intended to reward the very best, motivated and advanced science students, these awards of full tuition and fees are independent of financial need.